A Sister's Promise
by TheGingaNinga
Summary: One-Shot based off of Season 2 Episode 8. Jade's thoughts as she watches Wally and her mother at Artemis's grave, and what she thinks of her fathers harsh words. Read to see how she deals with her emotions of losing her sister, having a daughter, and planning her revenge against Aqualad... and she does get her revenge, though not against who you think. Little bloody at end.


**Hola everyone :) This is my first story ever, so I'm still trying to work out how to post stories and format and stuff! I'm supposed to be writing something about Roy but this randomly got in my head so here it is... as a side note I don't know too much about Jade and am basing this purely of off the Young Justice version of her. And a shout out to my friend who edited this for me late at night and got me into FF, I love you girl.  
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**I don't own YJ or Cheshire, I leave that to the awesome professionals. ENJOY :D  
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**A Sister's Promise**

_My God, how does she eat this much? I NEVER ate this much, and Artemis..._

My heart rate slows, each beat pounding languidly in my ears as cold rage spreads throughout my chest. My fingers twitch around the knife I hold in one hand. Lian squeals happily in her high chair, oblivious to the fact that I have to focus purely on her shoving her bottle back into her mouth to restrain myself from causing a massacre in my daughter's presence.

My sister. My responsibility... My failure. My shame. Looking at Lian, noticing the giant gap-toothed smile, the rage subsides to a dull ache under my collarbone. When Artemis was younger she'd smile exactly like that when we'd successfully pulled off one of our many schemes. Stealing food, getting revenge on the kids that bullied her, managing to escape Father's insane training exercises always brought out that rare joyous smile.

And it was because of me that that beautiful smile died along with her childhood. I look down, the sight of food making my stomach churn. I knew, I KNEW that leaving her would destroy that part of her, destroy that smiling girl who'd always look at me with hope, with adoration... with love.

Only my intense training protected me from the rapid projectile aimed at my face. I catch it right before it hits me, body tensing, and hand tightening on the knife as I prepare to defend my daughter and escape the restaurant... I blink... Once, twice. My daughter laughs on in her seat, unaware that she'd just set off all of my assassin senses.

... _well, she certainly is her Mother's daughter_, I think sardonically as I look at the bottle in my hand. I give her a soft smile before it's whipped away by the flash of ginger hair I spot out of the corner of my eye. I pay for the meal, and firmly put on my black cap before picking up a now sleepy Lian and following the tall figure of Wallace West.

* * *

_Mother's sick,_ is the first thought that enters my brain as I see her for the first time in years. The pale face, sunken eyes, and desperate face are nothing like the fierce, proud, and stubborn mother I'd known. Though I admit, since she'd been in and out of jail for so long I hadn't really seen that much of her regardless. And after I'd left I only checked in on her once a year, if that.

The urge to go over to my mother and the redhead grows stronger with each beat of my heart. I want to run over and join in the loving moment.

_How did you do it Mother? Did you ever think of leaving the business to raise us away from Dad? Where you just not able to escape, like me?_

I've always known that my choices in life have weighed heavily upon her, and now, with Artemis gone... dead, her failures must be eating at her.

Even though I'm an assassin, I WILL do right by my mother, my sister this once even though it may be considered too late. This resounding truth is the only thing keeping the tears at bay... and the man standing behind me.

I turn towards him because it's unwise to leave yourself vulnerable to your enemies.

"We had our differences, but Artemis was my sister. And I loved her." I look down at Lian sleeping in my arms. So innocent. So trusting. Reminding me of the blonde haired child who used to sleep there. "I should have taken better care of her." The rage blossoms again in the middle of my chest. "Protected her from you, for starters."

"Yeah well, it's too late for that now little girl." My father states.

_You bastard._ I can't stand to look at him, so I turn away to prevent myself from doing anything rash with my child in my arms. My muscles are straining from the effort of holding back my murderous intent while trying not to disturb Lian.

Taking a deep breath I focus my thoughts. "But it's not too late to get vengeance on her killer. Aqualad _is mine_." I snarl.

The next words out of my Fathers mouth make me almost kill him right there. _YOU BASTARD. We are not expendable soldiers. _He's just as much her killer as Aqualad is. My icy glare remains fixed on his blue eyes as he promises a reckoning with Manta. I promised vengeance on Artemis's killer, but I didn't mention that there was more than one.

* * *

The gravestone looks so bleak. The complete opposite of the woman Artemis grew up to become. I absentmindedly rock Lian, soothing myself as well as my child. Back, and forth. Back... and forth.

"I did love you Artemis." The soft words escape before I can call them back. I can't seem to stop myself. "I never admitted it, sister, but you were the stronger one. You stayed and fought. You fought through your poverty, depression, anxiety, and loneliness." A humorless smile slowly spreads across my face. "You always were a ferocious little thing. Always."

I turn, about to walk away, but I pause. "You don't need to worry about Mother, either. Your speedster is doing a good job of being the son she never had... So rest easy little sister."

I start walking. I have to plan my vengeance perfectly. Not only on the one called Aqualad... but also for a certain blonde hair, blue eyed man who goes by the name of Father. I don't look back.

* * *

Sportsmaster grins as he stands over the mangled body of his foe. His chest heaving in long, laboured breaths, making blood trail down his face from the corner of his mouth. Bending down he yanks Black Manta's mask completely off the man's head.

"Well Manta, no hard feelings right? We're both in the business, and I have to send a clear message to employers that I haven't lost my touch." He chuckles, but it quickly turns into a hacking cough as the blood gurgles in his throat. He spits it off to the side. "Right, Jade?"

I'm not surprised at all that he knew I was there. Dropping from the ceiling I land lightly on my feet and saunter towards him.

"He almost had me there. Why didn't you step in?"

I regard him coolly. "He was your kill, and yours to deal with alone."

He spits out more blood, turning away from me to retrieve his various weapons strewn across the floor. "Eh, have you killed Aqualad yet?"

I twirl one of my sai ideally as I approach his bent over form. "Not yet. I swore vengeance on her killer, but it occurred to me that there was more than one."

Before he's fully standing my sai is embedded in his upper back, puncturing a lung. He falls back onto his knees, choking on his own blood.

I lean over to whisper in his ear, "You robbed her, us, of childhood. You pushed us past the limits of our endurance, and then demanded more." He tries to stand, gasping, but I twist my sai deeper into his back. He falls back to his knees.

"However, I really must thank you for giving me this... particular skill set. But they do not redeem you of your past transgressions against me, against _Artemis_. You've outgrown your usefulness Father, and after all..."

I jerk my sai out of his body, blood tainting the green of my outfit, and press it to his throat. "It's just business, right?"

* * *

I clean my sai with the green from my outfit, since it's already covered in blood a little more won't matter either way. I glance down at the body lying at my feet, then at the wall.

Really, who would have known that my Fathers blood could create such an artistic mural?

_Ah, all done._ I tuck my sai back into by belt as I slip into the city. _Be patient awhile longer Artemis. _I smile, when I kill Aqualad I know my sister will finally be at peace.

* * *

**Oh, snap! Yes I killed off Sportsmaster, I never made sense to me that if Jade hated him that much why he was still alive. So I made it seem like she just used him to learn and make contacts and things... though maybe deep down she just wanted her daddy to love her and that's what she's waiting for... hmmm if lots of people actually want to see a story like that I will write one :) Again, this is my FIRST STORY EVER so please no flames if you decide to review, but please do point out my mistakes- it makes me a better writer :) Gracias everyone!**


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